It’s amazing how with opinions on bands, even one or two can sway you. This is French group Versailles' third album, and by the reports of their first album Le Cathédrale du Temps, I was warned to stay far away. This opinion also affected my decision to ignore their Don Giovanni, which was declared by some as a big step up. Their third album here has been quite a talking point in the scene now, and with all the good opinions on this one I'd figure I'd take a listen. I'm very glad I did as well, as this album is by far one of the best I have heard in its style in quite some time.
First comparison is obvious in that these guys used to listen to a lot of Ange, which is evident by their contribution to the A Propos d'Ange compilation. Vocalist Guillaume de la Pillière sounds quite a bit like Christian Décamps at time, yet not quite as strong. In fact some of the narration reminds me heavily of the style on the Emile Jacotey album. Instrumentally, all are constantly improving musicians, most notably the keyboadist whose organ chops and synth leads are quite pleasing to the senses. At times the music is a tad sloppy in the rhythm department — not that they are bad players, the fact that they're taking these impressive steps up is more than enough to cover for it.
The music is excellent with a good mix of digital and analog (the Mellotron is extremely effective here) keys, and is in a restrained powerful style comparable to Pink Floyd circa Meddle (parts of it are practically plagiaristic — check out the David Gilmour guitar lines a la “Echoes” in “Une Saint Barthélémy Dévote” ) or classic Pulsar ("Strands" or "Halloween"). The music is dynamic, melodic, well constructed with diverse use of sounds and textures. By the time you get to the incredible 20 minute "Une Saint Barthélémy Dévote" I'm sure any symphonic fan will be under its spell. This is great music, and a tribute to a band trying hard to improve in all ways. Excellent and highly recommended (except for the tacky cover).

This latest offering from the French four-piece Versailles takes the spirit of the classic French symphonics (Ange, Mona Lisa, etc.) and dresses it in a modern suit of heavy armor. Vocalist Guillaume de la Pilière links the present to the past, and although his voice is a bit more gravelly and uncontrolled than Christian Décamps (of Ange), it's still quite evident that there is a major influence here. Lyrics are all in French.
Guillaume is also the guitarist and flautist, and on the longer tracks he and the rest of the band stretch out and show what they are made of, a powerful symphonic based rock with a very French feel, dramatic and emotional. They do an excellent job on these instrumental passages, and nobly attempt to do some very complex licks, yet at times I get the feeling they are in a little over their heads. At their instrumental best (eg. the twenty minute "Une Saint Barthélémy Dévote" or the thirteen minute "Dégénérescence obsessionelle") they can call in all the powers and deliver a powerful rock based opus with a complex edge and gripping solos. Shorter tracks like "Exquisite Betise,” "Avec Tous Mes Hommages" and "Viendra L'heure" call up the spirit of the past a bit more, due to their high degree of vocal content — yet the inclusion of both keeps the album from weighing down or becoming too lofty and poetic. An acoustic guitar instrumental "Jadis" flows nicely in the mix as well.
One complaint is of the sound quality, of concern only when everyone is playing at once — but which is probably when a listener wants to hear the most. The clarity suffers a bit at some of these power points, yet still it's not as bad as the mix in Deus Ex Machina's Gladium Caeli. Overall, this is a winner, one I'm certain that most listeners would enjoy.

Latest news

2019-08-20Alex's Hand Seeks Spa Treatment –
American / European band Alex's Hand has a new album in the works called Hungarian Spa, which looks to be their biggest and best yet, featuring a large roster of guest musicians. They're seeking funding to take the project on the road, and are looking for help from the crowd of wisdom. »
Read more

2019-06-05Legendary Co-Founder of The 13th Floor Elevators Passes Away at Age 71 –
Sadly, Roky Erickson passed away on May 31, 2019. Known as the father of psychedelic music and co-founder of the ground breaking 13th Floor Elevators, Roky had a profound influence on music from the 60s to today. Plagued by his own personal demons, Roky had a difficult life and is now free of these burdens. »
Read more

2019-04-24Help MoonJune Bring Great Music to Life –
Like many music lovers around the world, we’ve been thrilled and amazed to hear the recordings that have been released by MoonJune from sessions at La Casa Murada in Spain. Such label stalwarts as Mark Wingfield, Markus Reuter, Asaf Sirkis, Tony Levin, Dusan Jevtovic, Vasil Hadzimanov, and many more have gathered in various combinations at the studio to produce some of the most creative music in recent years. Now, label head Leonardo Pavkovic is offering a compilation, La Casa Murada - MoonJune Sessions, Volume One, as a fundraiser for upcoming sessions. »
Read more

2019-04-10The Pineapple Thief to Tour North America –
November and December of 2019 will see The Pineapple Thief bringing their music to Canada, Mexico, and the US, and famed drummer Gavin Harrison will be on board. The band has been touring extensively in Europe, but North America will be new territory for them. »
Read more

2019-03-25Scott Walker RIP –
Noel Scott Engel, better known as Scott Walker, was one of the most intriguing and enigmatic musical figures in the second half of the 20th Century. His strange career started with The Walker Brothers, an American pop group that featured no one named Walker and no brothers. After moving to England in 1965, they had a series of hit singles. Scott's solo work started with Scott in 1967. Starting in the 80s, his work took an increasingly avant-garde turn. »
Read more

Previously in Exposé...

Scott Mosher - Deep Horizon –
Progressive metal has been around long enough now that a new release
has to have something different about it in order to catch my interest.
Scott Mosher does a good job doing that with the first...
(2007) »
Read more

Tideline - Siren Song –
Where is the audience for an album of commercial pop variety songs with unusual arrangements, and an occasional mildly avant-garde pop surprise thrown into the stew? I cringed when I first heard it,...
(1995) »
Read more

Cinema - The Seven Stories –
Cinema are a new project that Belle Antique are promoting. The band consists of former members of Fromage, and includes two keyboardists, an operatic female vocalist, and string players performing on...
(1996) »
Read more

Magma - Concert 1971 Bruxelles - Théâtre 140 –
Prior to the release of this, the earliest Magma shows that could be found on the tape collector circuit were mostly from the 1973-74 period (although a partial show from Metz in 3/72 exists). So this...
(1997) »
Read more

Lhasa Cement Plant - I Am Providence –
Recorded live at Terrastock ‘97, this New England based four-piece improvisational unit takes the listener on one crazy, forty minute, tripped up mind excursion. The building blocks here are two...
(1999) »
Read more